Pardek's Second Course
by thyme2read
Summary: After the plot to invade Vulcan had gone askew, Senator Pardek believes it is time to set out on a more fulfilling career path. Co-written by BewilderedFemale.
1. Chapter 1

Hi readers! Just FYI, this particular story takes place shortly after "Unification, Part II", and is not related to "Pardek Meets His Match." Thanks BewilderedFemale, for joining me on this culinary flight of fancy!

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Pardek's Second Course

It was a day like any other day in the Krocton Segment: bright and warm, with an occasional breeze from the coast of the Apnex Sea.

A fine day, thought Senator Pardek, looking on the bright side as he exited the Hall of State. The Senate having adjourned for lunch, the portly politician made his way down the familiar streets to the soup kitchen, as was his longstanding custom.

Lunch was generally one of the highlights of Pardek's day, but today, as he sat there in his regular spot, chatting with passersby and consuming the rustic victuals, he felt …different, a little out of spirits.

The main thing weighing on him was the failed Re-unification plot. The attempted takeover of Vulcan had gone horribly wrong, and in the end, he'd ultimately betrayed Spock, one of his oldest friends, for nothing. Truth be told, Pardek didn't really know Spock all that well, but he still felt like a heel. Afterall, they'd been on friendly terms for nearly 80 years, since the Khitomer peace talks back in 2293.

As he stared down into his reflection in the soup bowl, he thought that he looked old, very old, and tired. Even his taste buds felt old and tired. Pardek pushed the bowl away with a sigh.

Walking back to the Senate chambers, he realized that he had grown rather weary of politics. In point of fact, he'd been in public service for over 100 years, and 90 of those years as a senator, no less. In the last couple of decades most of his cronies had retired (or passed away), and now the political landscape was teeming with ambitious, conniving newcomers promising to change the world and make a name for themselves in the process.

He needed a new occupation, he concluded. Something to distract him and cheer his spirits.

"Ah, there you are Pardek," said Proconsul Neral, stopping him in the hallway. "We're going to see you at the State dinner this evening, aren't we?"

"Count on it," Pardek replied, recovering a bit of his usual good humor. Neral was kind of green, but at least he didn't patronize him like the other whippersnappers, who rolled their eyes when he spoke and made jokes about him behind his back.

It had been a long time since Pardek was invited to such an event. Though he was actually a member of the upper class, he was so attached to concerns of the common man that he hardly ever hung out with the social elite. But on this occasion he was looking forward to the change in routine, so after the deliberations were over for the day, he got ready and went to the party.

Pardek chuckled as he walked in the door. Neral acted like he was doing the old fellow a favor by inviting him, but Pardek knew better. His public image was a shining example of what a Romulan senator should be: dedicated, informed, ethical… If anything he was doing Neral a favor by attending.

His place at the table was next to a human, which startled him at first but then he remembered where he was and quickly realized that Proconsul Neral was apparently trying harder than he expected to gain the public's good eye. Still, he found himself extremely curious as to what the human would be doing there.

He was a tall man with salt and pepper colored hair wearing a traditional Earth suit. He was photographing the food on his plate from different angles, and once he was done doing that, he held up a glass of Romulan ale towards the light and looked around the room as if trying to find a good angle to photograph that as well. Pardek having been overcome with curiosity decided to speak to the human. After all, he was a man of the people, and that included other species as well but just as he was clearing his throat; the man spoke to him first.

"Excuse me sir, would you mind terribly holding up this glass of ale for me? I really want to capture the beautiful colors of this beverage."

Pardek was a bit surprised but he quickly agreed and held up the glass in different directions as the human snapped away pictures. His chubby arm was already starting to quiver from having held up the glass for so long when the human finally seemed satisfied.

"Thank you so much sir. How rude of me; my name is Charles Dymus from Earth." He extended his hand out to Pardek but then suddenly seemed to pull back when he couldn't remember if Romulans shook hands or not. Pardek however extended his hand in turn and gave him a hearty handshake.

"I am Senator Pardek, welcome to Romulus."

Charles nodded. "Thank you, I'm happy to be here and I must say; the food here is superb, to say nothing of this beautiful ale. I cannot wait to get back to Earth and start writing my article."

"Article?"" Pardek asked.

Charles seemed only too eager to elaborate. "Yes you see, I'm a food writer for a magazine back on Earth called 'Good Appetite'. For many years, the focus of Good Appetite has been directed towards human food, but it's only been recently where we've started to branch out to other planets. Allow me to say that I'm so very glad that they did because the food I've had here so far has been amazing."

Just then, the severs were bringing around trays of soup. They placed a bowl in front of each person, but just when Pardek was about to tuck in, he looked over at Charles who seemed stumped as to what he was about to Photograph.

"This is Galorndon stew. It's made from native roots and a rich broth usually made from H'lai bones," Pardek said to him as he picked up his spoon.

"Oh I see!" Said Charles, and he quickly picked up his camera and confidently began taking pictures again. When dessert was served, Pardek also helped him identify what it was, as well as the ingredients. At one point, Charles mentioned to Pardek: "It's too bad that you're so busy being Senator. I'm sure you'd be an excellent food writer and overall addition to 'Good Appetite'."

Pardek ears perked up when he said this. "But, would it require that I move to Earth?" He asked.

Charles shook his head. "Well no, because your column would be about Romulan food, so naturally your home base would be here. We'd probably send someone here to help you out in the beginning, Probably our food editor Prissy. Oh, I can see it now! It would be a huge hit!"

Pardek seemed to be in thought before he answered him. "Mr. Dymus, maybe now would be a good time to mention that it is probable that I will soon retire."

Charles' eyes lit up like diamonds. "Really! Then would you consider it Senator? Wait… Here's my card. Please contact me the minute you decide to follow through with it."

Pardek eyed the card and nodded. "We'll be in touch Mr. Dymus."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

That night, Pardek went home pondering over everything Mr. Dymus had said.

A magazine solely devoted to the palate? Whoever heard of such a thing? It could hardly be taken seriously as a profession. And yet, the idea of photographing, tasting, and writing about all of his favorite foods sounded strangely compelling, especially since the state dinner had been so flavorful and delicious! Pardek had forgotten how much he liked many of those dishes.

How quick come the reasons for doing what we like!

If he were to write merely for Romulan audiences then it would be a waste of time, he supposed. But this was for the edification of the Quadrants! And so what if it wasn't yet considered a legitimate career? He could call it a pastime then, something enjoyable to keep himself busy during his retirement. Afterall, he'd served the people faithfully for over 100 years, and well past the age of retirement. If anyone was entitled to a hobby, it was he.

No sooner than he set foot in the door, he marched straight to his desk to pen his resignation letter.

The next morning, however, while riding to the Senate for the last time, Pardek felt a few misgivings. Lately the morning commute had brought him little more than a sense of tedium, but today he felt unusually sentimental watching all the familiar structures and monuments go by. Was he really ready to just hang up his legacy for this?

He turned the resignation letter over in his hand, then took out the card from Mr. Dymus. There was no such thing as un-retiring from public service, so perhaps it would be wise to do a little test run before he burned his bridges.

That evening, Pardek decided to sup at The Falcon's Roost, a fashionable restaurant frequented by many of his colleagues and other Romulan patricians.

He ordered a green salad, fried turdock with giblet gravy, mixed grain dressing, and a side of steamed shribbets, a purplish vegetable similar to snow peas.

But once the food arrived, Pardek realized that he'd forgotten his camera.

"Then I suppose that means I'll have to come back tomorrow night," he chuckled to himself. Yes, tonight he'd just take the time to treat himself for once; a celebration dinner to kick off the transition from one successful career to another.

He picked up the fork and dove in to a delectable meal. His only complaint was that it came in such small portions!

"Do my eyes deceive me, or is that old Pardek sitting over there?" asked an aged politician, who was really only about two years younger himself.

"Yes, that's him," confirmed Proconsul Neral.

"What's he doing here?" wondered Senator Letant. "I thought a place like The Falcon's Roost was a bit rich for his taste."

"What do you mean? Is he in need of money?" asked another.

"Oh no, nothing like that," answered Letant. "It's just that the only place he's ever seen dining is at some run down old soup kitchen in Krocton."

"A senator eating at a soup kitchen? And they say I'm cheap," said Senator Vreenak, and the whole table joined him in raucous laughter.

"For shame, Vreenak!" chuckled Neral. "You make me laugh in spite of myself. Old Pardek doesn't deserve that treatment. He's genuinely attached to the concerns of the common man."

"My genuine apologies, then. I meant no offense… to the common man."

Another round of laughter.

Letant nearly choked on his ale. "Leave it you to crack jokes when I'm in the middle of a drink! I'm beginning to think you're plotting my demise."

"It took you this long to notice?" Vreenak replied before popping a bite of leafy greens into his mouth.

Unknown to them, Pardek heard every word, and now he knew for certain: it was time to quit politics.

* * *

Any previous hesitation on Pardek's side was now completely dissolved. After overhearing the other Senators at dinner the other night, he had decided that he was done having to put up with them anymore. Had this occurred during his more youthful years he would have sought to prove them wrong, or orchestrate their demise but now that he was older and wiser; he realized he needed to put his energy towards something he was now convinced would be far more constructive, and in the end might turn out to make a strong impact.

He put in his resignation papers and almost immediately there were several individuals who contacted him and tried to persuade him otherwise, but the ones who did were those that had something to lose if he left the Senate. Even though he was a rather old goat, he still held powerful influences. As predicted, none of the younger whipper-snappers tried to dissuade him of his decision, but that was swiftly forgotten as he concentrated on what he now had to do as a serious food critic.

That very night he returned to the restaurant and ordered the same thing from the night before. Usually he didn't like to repeat the same foods one day after another but it had been so delicious, he found that he actually didn't mind it. This time he photographed the food and next to him was a notebook where he wrote down in detail what he was having. "Fried Turdock was very good." He wrote with satisfaction on his face.

He was tremendously proud of himself as he left the restaurant, and eagerly contacted Mr. Dymus to tell him of his decision and show him what he had done so far. Pardek was smiling, awaiting the praise that was sure to come from the human, but as he continued to stare at him through the monitor, he only saw that Mr. Dymus' reaction was unreadable. Usually it was quite easy to discern how humans felt, but he was in the dark this time around.

"Well Mr. Dymus? What do you think?"

Mr. Dymus sighed. "This is a good start Senator, but I think we need someone with experience to fly out over there and give you proper training. I've already contacted Prissy and she has agreed to take on the assignment."

"Prissy?" Pardek asked.

"Oh yes, that's short for Priscilla. She is one of our food editors, I think I mentioned her to you before."

"Indeed." Pardek nodded.

"We'll have her stay at one of the Rateg Inn's since I believe that is relatively close to your residence."

But old Pardek's gears were already swiftly in motion. The human could be of tremendous use to him, and he had to take advantage of every opportunity to learn as much as possible.

"If you don't mind my saying Mr. Dymus; I would like for Priscilla to be a guest at my estate. I have more than enough rooms to spare."

The human blinked. "Well, if it is not an inconvenience to you Senator; I'm sure Prissy will be honored."

"I insist, she will be much better here than staying at the Inns."

Mr. Dymus nodded. "I shall tell her this, and we'll be contacting you with further details of her departure to Romulus."

Pardek nodded and bid his farewell. He rubbed his chubby hands together and smirked. He'd have the human woman tell him everything she knows and then he'd show them. They'd see a side of him that they never thought possible, and they'd regret having ridiculed him.


	3. Chapter 3

Thanks to all who read and review! It adds to the fun, and is very much appreciated. : )

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According to Mr. Dymus, it would take this "Prissy" person's transport vessel at least ten days to travel from Earth to Romulus. In the meantime, Pardek thought it best to investigate some more of the local eateries. After all, it wouldn't do to appear as clueless as the human when it came to Romulan dining.

So Pardek embarked upon a culinary expedition, visiting one restaurant after another and catching up on what he'd been missing over the last century or so. And as his culinary knowledge grew, so did his waistline, as he discovered one morning while struggling to pull on what used to be a very comfortably-fitting tunic.

"Well I'll be…" he muttered. "I suppose I've gained a little weight. But all in the line of duty!" Pardek chuckled. "It's about time for some new garments anyway. New job, new wardrobe."

So it was off to the tailor's. "I can't be looking like some vagabond when the human arrives. Gotta look the part if I want to be taken seriously."

But the tailor was already busy helping another customer. "I'll be with you in a moment, sir," he assured him, carrying a very elaborately decorated coat toward one of the fitting rooms.

"Here you are, sir... Finished! I took it in on the sides, added more padding to the shoulders, and looped this black trim. What do you think?"

"What do I think? It's a horse blanket," answered a cold, calculating voice.

"But, sir! This is one of our finest coats!"

"Very nice, sir," put in one of the guards.

"Very well, it's a nice horse blanket," sneered the customer. Pardek thought he sounded familiar, but he couldn't quite place it so he just continued browsing.

"Why don't you try the red one, sir?" suggested the tailor with the patience of a saint.

"Even worse. It's a political function, not a circus," was the icy reply. "Have you nothing fit for one of my station?"

"We've shown you our best, sir. Perhaps another shop-"

"As if I have time to be running all over town. Alright then, give me the horse blanket." A moment later, who should emerge but Koval, the dreaded Chairman of the Tal Shiar.

"Jolan tru," Pardek hailed him, but the loutish Chairman merely marched on without so much as glancing in his direction, leaving one of the guards to handle the purchase.

"Jolan tru, sir," the tailor answered instead. " How may I be of assistance… Senator Pardek?" he asked, knitting his brows at Pardek's shabby attire.

It had been Pardek's longstanding practice to acquire the least expensive items available in his size, one of his political strategies to look more approachable and in step with the commoners. He had to keep reminding himself that he was not a Senator anymore, that he was free to do as he liked without worrying about the approval of the general public. So he explained what he wanted, and before he knew it he was stepping out of the shop with an armful of the finest quality suits, more expensive than anything he'd worn in decades.

The purchase done, Pardek headed to the nearest buffet for some lunch. After piling his plate high with an eclectic assortment of victuals, he sat down and took a few pictures before diving in.

"Hmm… this 'Priscilla' is scheduled to arrive tomorrow," he recalled. He'd have to check with the servants and make sure that all was in readiness.

As before, when he finished eating he scribbled his thoughts about the meal on a notepad: "Havok's Buffet offers a wide variety of dishes, and I didn't sample any that I didn't like."

After that, Pardek headed home. But when the shuttle landed in the driveway, he was alarmed to see that the servants were unloading luggage from another vehicle.

"What's going on here?" he asked upon hurrying into the foyer.

"Your guest has arrived, sir."

"What? Why didn't you call me?"

Before the servant could answer, the lady herself appeared.

"You must be Senator Pardek," she said with a smile. "Priscilla Sherwood," she declared, presenting her dainty little hand.

But Pardek merely blinked, unaccustomed to the Terran gesture. In turn, Miss Sherwood laughed awkwardly and withdrew her hand, using it to twirl a lock of her hair instead.

"Eh… Jolan tru, Miss Sherwood," Pardek said finally. "I apologize for not being here to welcome you, but it was my understanding that you were to arrive tomorrow."

"Yes well, apparently the schedule's aren't exactly on point when traveling to Romulus and…"

She took a deep breath as she finally seemed to collect her bearings. Prissy was beyond elated to finally have arrived at her destination and be walking on land as opposed to having to take hypo-needle medications to control her nausea, and since she had been pretty much sick for the past ten days, she found that she was rather ravenous. She looked at the portly Senator before her and realized that he must be a tremendous cook, or at least must have a tremendous cook on staff. She graced him with her biggest smile, and found her vision slightly doubled, it really had been too long since she had eaten a solid meal.

"Miss umm.. Are you feeling alright? You look rather pale." Pardek noted.

Prissy again sighed loudly. "I was sick during most of the trip, I haven't really eaten…"

"OH! SAY NO MORE! Pardek exclaimed and immediately signaled his one guard to ready the flitter. "I'm going to take you to one of my favorite places and remedy your ailment; trust me Miss umm.. Prissy?"

She smiled. "Yes, please call me Prissy Senator; it is believe me, a great honor that you have bestowed upon me to let me reside in your home."

Pardek waved her off though. "I have more than enough rooms to spare, and I am quite anxious to show you my work. I have many questions and things to consider with you regarding Romulan cuisine."

Just then, he guided her outside when he saw the guard driving up with the flitter. Once he helped her in the flitter, he sat beside her in the back seat, noticing how she smiled and quickly lowered her eyes when he caught her looking at him.

"Forgive me, is this your first time to Romulus?" He asked, he wondered if her actions were due to the fact that she perhaps had never been in a company of a Romulan before.

"Yes it is actually, is it that obvious?"

Pardek chuckled as he straightened himself up and changed the tone of his voice so it sounded a bit deeper. "Do not worry about such things Miss Prissy, you are my guest, and I think you will be please with where we're going. I must forewarn you however that Romulan food is quite different from that of Terran cuisine."

Prissy's eyes suddenly lit up. "Oh, but believe me Senator! I am extremely excited to try Romulan cuisine at the source! On Earth I go out to Romulan restaurant's all the time, so I am familiar with some of your dishes, and have prepared some of them at home too, but sometimes I feel that what we get imported is so limited, that's why I am very much looking forward to having my first meal here."

Pardek smiled then at her response, he knew without a doubt that she would be pleased with where he was taking her; yes, the "Cauldron Buffet" would surely captivate and excite her senses.


End file.
